‘I’m still here’
Defiant Sathianathan relieved to reach quarter-finals
PETALING JAYA: Coach B. Sathianathan was having the last laugh after steering Selangor to the Malaysia Cup quarter-finals.
With mounting pressure over his leadership in the Red Giants, a defeat against Felda United would have left Sathianathan in a precarious situation, but his boys showed great discipline to beat their opponents 2-0 in the final Group D match at the Tun Abdul Razak Stadium in Jengka, Pahang, on Wednesday.
The goals were scored by Khyril Muhymeen Zambri (16th minute) and Ifedayo Olusegun (73rd). They will face Group C runners-up Perak in a two-legged quarter-finals.
Selangor topped the group with 10 points while Melaka remained at second with eight. Felda finished their campaign in third with seven points, while Police ended last with six.
Sathianathan was undoubtedly relieved to see his charges getting into the knockout stage.
“Finally, we deserved this win. My boys were struggling in the first 10 minutes of the game, and our defence was bad that we allowed Hadin (Azman) to slalom through the defenders,” said Sathianathan.
“However, the boys knew Felda would go for an all-out attack, and they regained their tactical discipline to get the desired result.
“Once we took the 1-0 lead, there was no pressure. Felda were rushing for a goal. It was good for us.
“It’s a good win, and I’m still here with Selangor,” he added.
Selangor face defending champions Perak at the Perak Stadium for the first-leg on Sunday, and Sathianathan would focus on recovery for the next three days.
“We played on an artificial pitch, some players have suffered knocks and tightness. Hopefully, we don’t have to play on this kind of pitch anymore.
“Perak are a big team, and I need my best players. However, if they are not fit to play, I may call up our President Cup players. We shall see in the next few days.”
Meanwhile, Felda coach Nidzam Jamil was not bitter over the result.
“I promised the management that we would survive the Super League and give a good challenge in all competitions. I think I’ve fulfilled that,” said Nidzam.
“I don’t know what’s the direction for next season, but for now, these players deserve to go on a holiday. We have been toiling since December last year. As a coach, I’m happy to see these players showing great character throughout the season.”